They’re finally pulling the plug on this business venture.
Ukrop’s to close Roanoke location
This company actually sent letters to their customers asking them to change their shopping habits and buy more groceries there instead of just buying their specialty items. That was a sign that the store wasn’t going to survive.
The “no alcohol sales” and “closed on Sunday” policies just became another hurdle that this store wasn’t able to overcome. Ukrop’s is a great business idea, but the local demographics have to support a store like this. In this economy, that’s not going to happen in this region.
Probably right in this economy. PERHAPS in a stronger time and a DIFFERENT LOCATION, it might have worked. I LOVE UKROP’s but even if I lived full time in Richmond, I would go there for prepared foods and certain things….but would still get basics at cheaper prices at such as Food lion, Wal Mart, etc. Sad to say.
In Richmond, the Krogers get a boost it seems to be on Sundays when Ukrops is closed.
Sad sad sad to see Ukrop’s perhaps going away. Having lived in Richmond, still having family there and going there often, I will MISS it. But , again, even if I lived there, most likely would stock up elsewhere and go there for specialty items.
Halifax(Town of) needs(WANTS) a grocery store but alas, do not see that happening either. At least one resident does….
I was sad when I got the confirmation that Ukrops was closing. Despite the generally higher prices I’ve made it my default store, thanks to the general convenience of the “shopping experience”, including location which was always good for me.
I’ve come to recognize that many of our area Kroger’s are in a perpetual state of looking like a dirty snowball. The Tanglewood location is a disaster of ergonomics, or feng shui– call it what you will, but it’s like threading a camel through a needle just walking in or out. The way they park a shopping buggy full of beat-up shampoo bottles in front of the registers, and then an employee dressed to land planes on an aircraft carrier next to said buggy– well, it made Ukrops seem like a Paradise in comparison.
All that said, I can’t help but find the Ukrops philosophy a tad pharisaical. I don’t see how the ‘Ivy shopping center’ was ever gonna amount to more than a Ukrops and a Walgreens– surely they knew about Towers up on the hill when they opened? And, conscience is a great thing, but maybe those churchgoers who flood the other grocery stores on Sun. evenings don’t have the wrong idea. Ukrops was a lovely experience, but even I balked at the mediocre bakery and how thin the bread selection was. In a competitive business, I can’t entirely forgive Ukrops for giving themselves so many self-imposed handicaps and then making a public noise to guilt-trip customers (I imagine that Darlene & comp. got an earfull of it too!). I’m sad to lose them, but I don’t want an invite to a pity-party.